Sharing the Pain
by RuinsoftheMoonVII
Summary: They were one in the same... Naoto Shirogane x female!OC - a story trade with Miss Hanamura. Warning for light yuri content.
1. Chapter 1

She was always in the way…

Nothing that she did was ever right…

Completely _worthless… _a waste of _space… _nothing like Airi.

And nothing like Naoto Shirogane.

…

The "Detective Prince": the mysterious youth, who had arrived one day in the quiet town of Yasoinaba.

An "unattainable beauty" by common standards, Naoto had everything that she'd always wanted: strength, confidence, control, and above all an iron will.

Such personal perfection was her goal, and still… so far out of her reach.

Erin Suzuki had always just been the "elder twin"; never nearly matching up to her genius of a sister, at least in her parent's minds. She'd hoped to be able to break free – after moving to live with her grandmother in Inaba – and attempt to change herself for the better.

Through her new part-time job at Junes, she'd met Yosuke Hanamura – a zealous young man, who was not only attending the same school as her, but by pure coincidence was also in her class. His casual flirting turned into friendly conversation, and before she knew it the two of them had become fast friends.

"_Yo, Rin-chan."_

"_Yosuke! Hey, what's up?"_

"_Nothin' much… but you're looking as cute as ever, I see!"_

"_U-Uhh…!"_

"_Haha! You're pretty when you blush, you know."_

"_I-I…"_

"_Oh hey, I was wondering, are you free this Sunda—"_

"_Yosuke-kun! Quit flirting with the new recruit and get back to work!"_

"_Oops… better go! Heh, I'll catch you later!"_

"_Y-Yeah… see ya."_

Erin cared a lot for Yosuke, being that he was her first real best friend; she felt comfortable around him, but still always became flustered by his flirtatious looks and compliments, to which he would smile and laugh. In all, though, he was a genuine guy, and through him she also became close friends with Rise Kujikawa and Yukiko Amagi.

"_No, Erin!"_

"_Rin-chan!"_

"_Look at me! Look at meeee!"_

"_S-Stop! Please!"_

"_SOMEONE LOOK AT MEEEEEEE!"_

"_N-Nooooo!"_

"_Rin-chan's shadow is going bear-serk!"_

"_We gotta save her; let's do this, Jiraiya!"_

"_Everyone… get ready!"_

"_Right behind ya, sempai!"_

For a while, she'd thought that Yosuke was "the one"…

Rise's constant coaxing may have had something to do with it, but it was true: he'd been the one there for her when she had to face her shadow self, and he'd helped her in coming to terms with her role as a Persona-user.

However… he was out of her _league._

Yukiko and the other girls were far more beautiful and confident than her… in her eyes at least. What real chance did she have?

…

But things changed.

Naoto had come along; and to everyone's surprise, became the latest victim of the Midnight Channel.

Whereas Erin's dungeon had been a Drama Theatre, reflecting her desire to act, the fabricated world they found themselves in was like something out of one of those detective hero shows for kids: in short, not at all what they had been expecting.

What came as even more of a surprise to Erin than Naoto's true "identity" was the revelation: that the detective wasn't as cool and collected deep down as she had first thought, and in actual fact… was a lot like herself.

"_My sex doesn't fit my ideal image as a detective…_

_The police department is a male-orientated society. If they had even the slightest reason to look down on me, I wouldn't be needed anymore…_

_But I see now, that what I should strive for isn't to become a man._

_I have to accept myself… for who I really am…"_

For the first time in her life, Erin had felt a strange connection. It was as if they were one in the same, maybe having been "destined" to meet…

The feelings of inadequacy, and wanting to be someone that you weren't… she knew how that felt, more than anyone; and for some strange reason it made her happy, to know that there was someone else just like her.

After the long, rough battle inside Naoto's secret base – incidentally, their hardest challenge yet – Erin had earned an unlikely friend… and, more importantly, someone to take care of.

The detective was the quiet type; she knew that already. But Erin couldn't help but hope that she would open up to her, just a little bit.

She wanted Naoto to trust her, and see that she wasn't alone. She'd been in the same boat herself after all, for almost the entirety of her life.

"_U-Um… good morning, Naoto-kun."_

"_Hmm? Oh… isn't it already past twelve?_

"_Uhh… oh! R-Right sorry, ahaha…"_

"…"

Their awkward encounters in the school corridors were difficult at first, consisting of a nod or two and some fumbled words. Erin only wished she had the courage to say more; a lot of the time, she didn't quite know what to say, and would end up blushing and only embarrassing herself. Naoto would stare, pensive and slightly confused, as if trying to figure her out… or possibly wondering what kind of motive she would have to want to talk to _her._

Naoto's pain was her pain too; and after a while the detective, slowly but surely, began to realise that, as well.

"_Suzuki-san, right?"_

"_Oh! U-Um, yes! H-How did you—?"_

"_Remember your name? My memory is quite efficient in that way… and, well… you did help to save my life, after all."_

"_I-I did? I mean… I did?"_

"_Listen… I do apologise for being short with you as of late. To be honest… my mind's been all over the place since then…"_

"_Oh! Please, don't apologise! I mean… I totally understand, you know…"_

"_Sempai briefed me on a few things. I realise that you and I went though quite similar predicaments."_

"_Huh? Yu-sempai told you about my…?! Oh gosh…!"_

"_Well… yes, but… I figured out the most part on my own. He didn't disclose anything personal about you."_

"_Oh… um…"_

"_I realise that you've only been trying to help me, so again… I apologise. Perhaps… to make up for it, we could spend some time together after school?"_

"_W-Wha?!"_

"_Um… only if you want to, that is. It's just that… I do feel as if I can trust you the most, out of everyone in the team. I… I guess I'm just trying to be more honest with myself, and others too, so… I thought it may be a good idea for us to… get to know each other?"_

"_Really?! I mean, um… y-yes, of course… sure, I'd love to hang out!"_

"_Um… you've gone completely red. Are you alright Suzuki-san? Shall I take you to the nurse's office?"_

"_N-No… I-I'm fine, really!"_

"…_If you're sure."_

Naoto had her own share of problems; but when she found Erin there, by her side, the desolation inside her seemed to recede… and it would dawn on her, that it was safe to be herself.

Awakening to her Persona, representing the arcane of Fortune, seemed to be no mere coincidence.

When grey eyes locked with blue, suddenly perfection didn't seem so far away…


	2. Chapter 2

Christmas was approaching fast.

Early snow fell over the hurried bustle of Okina City, as the train bound from Inaba pulled into the station. Festive decorations lit up the streets – in delicious reds and golds – while people clad in woolly hats scurried to and fro, from the shops displaying _"50% OFF!" _in their windows.

Naoto stepped out on to the platform pulling her jacket around her; drawing a chattered breath, it appeared as a white cloud in front of her face.

Winter had hit them so suddenly.

She'd heard from Rise that a lot of the kids from school came to Okina to hang out, and according to Chie-sempai, it was the perfect place to do your last minute Christmas shopping. Although, judging by the sea of people, it seemed like it would be no easy task.

It didn't seem like a great time for them to be celebrating; what with the murder investigations still going on. However Yu had managed to convince the team that they should at least try to enjoy this time they had together, while they still could. Besides… they all _did_ deserve a bit of a break at least, from battling in the TV world.

Naoto sighed, and took another deep breath.

The young detective was on a mission.

Glancing around at the busy crowd, she adjusted her hat before uneasily making her way out towards the noise of the market.

…

Erin had always been excited about the Christmas season as a child.

The bright colours, singing and feasting all seemed like so much fun…

But after growing up a bit, her innocence and enthusiasm had slowly died away, along with any hopeful illusions about spending a merry new year with her family. The only proper presents she'd ever received while growing up were socks and slippers from her grandmother – always the same colour, bright pink, but they had surely been better than nothing.

She wasn't a kid anymore; getting presents didn't matter to her… but, now that she had been earning her own money, for the first time in her life she found herself excited by the idea of choosing gifts for her friends.

Rise had practically blabbed already about what she'd bought for everyone, and that had only psyched her up for it. She'd been thinking all day yesterday about what she should get. Being indecisive, she settled on just finding the gifts when she got to the city.

Already armed with several plastic bags, Erin stopped for a moment, collapsing on a bench near the outdoor market stalls. Re-adjusting the spaghetti straps on her top, she let out a sigh; she was even more exhausted than she usually got when shopping with Yukiko. That girl loved getting out of Inaba, and would just flit around the shops, mostly just admiring - never really buying anything.

Erin smiled to herself, peering into one of the shopping bags and spotting the red flower hairpin she'd just bought, amongst rolls of wrapping paper and cellotape. She remembered that Yukiko had spotted it one time during a trip, and knew that such an elegant hairpiece would definitely suit her: she already couldn't wait to give it to her.

In another bag she had a cute pink pastel-coloured top, complete with yellow patterned sleeves: as soon as she'd set her eyes on it, she'd decided at once that it would be perfect for Rise. She'd had a hard time trying to choose between small and medium – the shop assistant hadn't helped much, saying at the last minute that the clothes from their store varied a lot in size, and were often smaller when they were actually on. Despite the trouble though, she hadn't been able to pass it up: it was _so_ Rise's sort of thing.

She'd been thinking about getting some ear warmers for Teddie, seeing as he wasn't used to the cold weather in their world. As for the others, she was totally stumped – she wanted to find something they would like, and find useful. This was her first time buying presents like this; they just had to be special!

Her mind wandered through the faces of the investigation team, checking them off as she went, and finally falling on one in particular, making her blush.

Naoto… what on earth would _she_ like?

She'd wondered about getting a detective novel; or some kind of book… but she thought that may be too obvious, since Yukiko had been the one to suggest it to her. Naoto did seem like a "book" person though… she probably already had a lot of those sorts of books at home.

Erin shook her head… it had to be something more original.

Her blush darkened all of a sudden at the thought of Naoto giving _her _a present… would she even do something like that?

Not that it mattered, of course. She was only focusing on giving gifts; she wasn't expecting to receive any anyway… apart from Rise's.

But still… if Naoto got her something, she couldn't help but wonder what it might be.

She wasn't even sure how she would react if Naoto…

Shaking her head vigorously, she forced herself to try and focus. Instead of staying stuck on that, in the meantime she would have a hunt around for something for Yosuke.

Hoisting up her bags, she began off towards the market. She'd had the idea of getting Yosuke something for his bike, since he used it all the time, but so far she hadn't found anything. She began browsing the many stalls, lined with all kinds of gaudy merchandise: dolls, teapots, board games, puzzles, kitchen wares, DVDs, clocks…

Erin paused, her eyes falling on a particular little clock: there was something familiar about the blue and white character wearing a hat. As she picked it up for a closer look, it suddenly let out a high pitched sound, casing her to almost fling it across the street. The creature's eyes lit up, and the words "good morning" appeared flashing on the built-in screen in its belly.

The stall clerk chuckled, "You like him? He's a special edition! Not many of the Jack Frost alarm clocks were made here."

"Eheh…" Erin nodded weakly, her heart still thumping from the shock.

"He wouldn't fail to wake you up, that's for sure!" the man laughed, while the clock continued to squeak his good morning call, "The time just needs to be re-adjusted. If you're interested in him, I could do that for you, at no extra charge?"

Staring and blinking for a moment at Jack Frost's cheeky face, Erin was suddenly bombarded with a great new idea.

Yosuke always had trouble waking up in the morning. Despite living virtually on the doorstep to Junes, he was still sometimes hurrying in late for work, wearing his apron backwards and giving an out-of-breath wave towards her usual spot at the cash register. She guessed that because his parents were the managers, he got off easier; but in any case, an alarm clock seemed perfect, and not to mention practical. It would certainly be very useful.

A smile grew across her face as she lifted her head, orange curls bouncing, "Yeah, I'll take it!"

…

"Naoto-kun?

"U-Uh…! Sempai?! Ahem, sorry, I… I didn't realise you were there."

"Didn't mean to scare you. Sorry… uh, what was that thing… you were looking at just now?"

"U-Uh nothing! N-Nothing… nothing at all!"

"Oh… uh, okay. If you say so…"

"…"

"So, um…"

"…"

"What're you doing around here anyway? …Shopping?"

"Umm, well… yes. Actually, Sempai, perhaps… you could help me with something?"

…

Now equipped with another heavy bag, Erin trudged tiredly up and down the shopping district, starting to run out of energy.

She had something for everyone now… except Naoto.

Why was it so difficult? Every time something popped into her head, it was dismissed straight away for sounding too lame, or bland. She had thought that girls were easier to buy for than guys… but not at all in this case. While she racked her brain, her stomach loudly reminded her that it was past lunch time: she hadn't eaten all day. She decided that a well-deserved break may help revive her and help her think of something.

She stopped at a quaint-looking café, inside the city's department store, not wanting to sit outside in the cold; it was packed indoors, but luckily she managed to snag a free table, after a couple had just got up and left.

Sitting down to eat, her nose caught on to the sweet, mouth-watering scents of Christmas cookies and pastries. The homemade snowman and Santa-shaped biscuits had been decorated with such yummy details; Erin just hadn't been able to resist getting a couple of them.

She wondered if her grandmother would like one when she got home… although, they probably wouldn't stay warm for that long. Nothing could compare to sweets that had been freshly made…

…

Suddenly staring at the now headless Santa cookie, Erin's eyes lit up.

…Why hadn't she thought of that before?!

She was a decent cook, and only ever improving… Chocolate and sweets were a total must-have at Christmas time! Also, it seemed like a pretty original idea…

A blush fell on her face. Maybe she should…

"_Hey… N-Naoto…"_

"_Suzuki-san. I'm glad you came…"_

"_U-Um, I uh…"_

"_Hm?"_

"_Um… this… this is for you! M-Merry Christmas!"_

"_Oh! You… got something for me?"_

"_Actually, um… I made those myself…"_

"_Really? But… these look like they came from a store?"_

"_Oh… s-sorry… they didn't turn out exactly right."_

"_No. You have no need to apologise; I meant it as a compliment. In fact, I… think they're quite impressive."_

"_R-R-Really?! You really think so?!"_

"_I had no idea you were such a good cook, Suzuki-san… perhaps, maybe… you could help teach me sometime?"_

"_M-Me?! Teach you?!"_

"_Well then… I suppose I ought to give you something to thank you for this…"_

"_H-Huh? You don't have to Naoto—"_

"_Hmm… close your eyes…"_

"_O-Okay…"_

"…"

A flash of blue hair from the corner of her eye made Erin look up, instantly breaking her train of thought. She almost gasped in surprise.

The very person she'd been thinking of was just outside the café, browsing a shop window opposite.

Naoto had a look on her face, indicating that she was deep in thought. She furrowed her brow, studying the gold watches on display; this Christmas shopping was a lot harder than she thought.

Erin blinked, not realising that she'd been staring. Feeling skittish, she thought about leaving quickly, but froze after she noticed another familiar face amidst the crowd.

Silver hair sparkling with a few stray snowflakes, Yu made his way over to Naoto.

"Found anything?" he asked.

Naoto shook her head, seeming a little irritated, "Unfortunately, no… this is far more difficult than I had imagined."

Yu tilted his head, wearing his usual unfazed expression. Naoto sighed.

"I appreciate your help though, Sempai… if I hadn't run into you, I would be no better off."

"Well… it would help if you told me who you're trying to buy a present for. I don't have much to go on."

Naoto's face suddenly flushed a cute shade of pink. She turned wide-eyed toward him.

"T-That's…! It's… c-confidential information!"

Yu's expression didn't change as he asked, "You said it was a girl…"

"Y-Yes… a female friend…"

"…Is it Erin?"

Naoto looked at him as if she'd just been struck by lightning. Her mouth fell open, and this time her face went scarlet.

"W-Wha… What makes you think that, Sempai?!"


	3. Chapter 3

The clock on the wall read 7:30…

She was late.

Naoto wasn't usually the impatient type… she didn't even realise that she had been pacing about for the last five minutes, stealing glances every so often out of her apartment window.

The winter stars were out, and the streets were so dark and thick with snow that it was hard to even see anything.

This only succeeded in making the detective more anxious.

She would have put it down to nerves… if she had a reason for it. Perhaps it was just the novelty of having someone visit her on Christmas Eve. It was common knowledge, that friends and families had big get-togethers at Christmas, but this was the first time she'd ever done something like this. In fact, it was the first time she'd ever bought someone a Christmas present.

Crossing the room, Naoto opened her desk drawer, as if checking that the present hadn't moved. She'd wrapped it inside a small box, after several hours of debating whether or not it seemed like "too much". She wasn't used to this. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, if the gift were for someone else…

Resisting the urge to open the box and have another peek inside, she closed the drawer and gave a shaky sigh.

What if… she didn't like it?

Her stomach fluttered at the thought of an awkward situation arising: Erin's face spelling confusion, or even disappointment. And a subsequent silence…

Maybe… she shouldn't have even _bothered_ with this.

She opened the desk again, staring restlessly at that irritating little box.

No; she couldn't back out. This was the ideal opportunity…

She was often good with words, but hoped that this gift would better show how grateful she was to her…

That is, if she even turned up.

She knew Erin could be a little spacey, but she would never forget when she was supposed to be meeting someone. Maybe the heavy snow had caught her up?

Or something _bad _had happened?

Paranoid, she went to check her phone on the table. The screen showed no new calls or messages… no news was, technically, good news; she hadn't cancelled at least. But then again… she could have lost her phone – again - or something may have happened on her way over. Being a detective, she'd heard this kind of story many a time. Or maybe…?!

The murder culprit had somehow discovered their identities, and had taken her hostage for meddling with his plans? He'd already kidnapped her once before – it was probably obvious that his victims were the ones now venturing into the TV world… and with the streets so empty that night, and Erin's grandmother out of town, it would be an ideal time for a villain to strike…!

…_No. _What was she even thinking?

Her detective brain was getting too carried away. Surely everything was fine… when she thought about it, it sounded pretty stupid.

If she called Erin right now to ask where she was, she would probably just end up looking needlessly worried… or maybe just desperate?

She had been the one to invite her over, after all…

Shaking off a blush, she started pacing again. The clock said 7:34.

Maybe she should call Yu-sempai, just in case?

Maybe she—

_Tap tap…_

Naoto froze. There were footsteps out in the apartment corridor.

"W-Waah!"

After being accompanied by a high-pitched "Oof!" and crashing sound, she waited with anticipation for a few moments before going to open the door.

Erin was lying face down on the laminate floor, having tripped on the laces of her winter boots. Naoto sighed, not being able to help smiling; but only for a second.

Erin lifted her head, face bright red under matching fiery curls.

"U-Um…!" she picked herself up almost immediately, fraught with embarrassment, "H-Hi…"

…

"It's, um… really cold out tonight…"

"Y-Yeah…"

Naoto was glad that Erin had shown up when she did, lest she did something completely embarrassing. But now that they were alone together in her apartment, for some reason she was struggling to make conversation. She didn't usually get so worked up like this.

Erin was still fretting about having fallen over, for the third time counting that day. The doorbell out front hadn't been working, so thankfully the old landlady – coincidentally a friend of her grandma's – had let her in and directed her up to Naoto's floor.

Luck may not have been on her side that day… but Fortune seemed to be favouring her.

"I, um… I have something for you…"

Erin's face washed a rosy pink, "Y-You do!? I-I mean… actually, I have something… for _you _too."

That threw Naoto off a little. She'd been brooding so much over the gift she'd bought that she hadn't at all considered _receiving _one. Although sheepish, she attempted to stay composed, even with a blush.

"Well, um… shall I go first?"

For some reason they both reddened even more at that; Erin tried to giggle it off, but she hung her head so that her hair blocked any eye contact.

The fact that Naoto was acting surprisingly edgy was flustering her even more than usual…

"That… That didn't come out quite right." Naoto was gazing aimlessly off to the side, "Ahem, I, uh, meant to say…"

"I-I know… It's okay. I knew what you meant." Erin was still laughing awkwardly; she shuffled about a bit.

Naoto coughed, staring at her knees before taking up the box she'd been hiding under the table. Her hand was shaking, but she quickly stopped that.

"Here…"

Erin stared, blinking glassy-eyed at the box being offered to her. Naoto flinched for a moment, wondering if she would take it. The scenario she imagined earlier began flashing through her mind during that long moment.

"T-Thank you…"

Erin finally spoke softly, smiling gratefully as she took the box gently. Her fingers brushed against Naoto's for a second, causing her to pull back quickly.

"U-Um…" she giggled half-heartedly, keeping her head down as she untied the ribbon.

"I… hope you like it." Naoto murmured, the brim of her hat falling over her eyes. She watched carefully, apprehensive for her reaction.

The lid came off, and a glint of silver lit in Erin's eyes.

"Oh wow!"

"I, um, didn't make it myself…" Naoto quickly spoke, "But I did… make some modifications to it…"

Erin took the beautifully crafted watch from its box. She glanced up a moment later, wondering what the detective meant by "modifications". It looked pretty ordinary at a first glance: ordinary, but elegant. It had probably been expensive.

"I… didn't think the watch alone was sufficient." Naoto's voice had started to rise, "I wanted it to have a more, um… personal touch."

Erin blinked, still unsure.

Naoto was fidgeting… was she _shy?_

"You see…" she said, "I took it apart and made some adjustments, so… the watch can tell you… where I am."

Erin's face suddenly burned, as she found Naoto scooting around the table towards her. She took the watch, pressing a button and pointing to a flashing dot on the LCD screen.

'_DISTANCE AWAY 1 m'_

"You can see here… it homes in on the device I put in my own watch. That, um… that means… I-I can see where you are, too…"

She trailed off, and Erin could only hear the thumping of her own heart in her ears. Naoto lifted her head and for a split second, their eyes locked.

"Would you… that is, do you want me to…"

She shook her head, her face now perfectly pink. She seemed to be stumbling over her words. Erin caught on though, nodding timidly and holding up her wrist. Naoto seemed to smile gratefully, unlatching the watch and helping to fit it on her.

"I just thought… since they're quite d-difficult… to put on yourself…"

She stammered, but stopped a breath in her throat, bashfully noticing how close their faces were.

"T-Than…"

Erin tried to squeeze out a thank you, but it never really came. In a matter of moments their faces had drawn closer, and their lips were touching.

It was soft, sweet… and incredibly short.

The two almost immediately pulled away from each other, both red as beetroots. The girls didn't dare to look at one another in the eye, turning their heads and eyes around awkwardly.

That dreaded, unpleasant silence filled the air…

"I…I-I just don't know what came over me…" Naoto could no longer keep up that low voice of hers, with her speech rasping out in a sort of squeak. She only embarrassed herself further.

"I-It's okay…" Erin barely whispered, stealing skittish looks at the other from the corner of her eye.

The detective seemed to be regretting her action, suddenly very tense. Erin noticed this, and eventually let out a tiny chuckle.

"I…I guess that was just bad timing, huh?"

"Mmm…" Naoto droned, still too shy to look up; but she did, after feeling Erin slightly touch her arm.

"Um… I-If you ever wanted… we could um, uh…"

"…try it again?"

Erin flushed about ten shades darker when Naoto finished her sentence; an uproar of emotions suddenly flared inside of her chest. Even Naoto seemed shocked at herself.

"_T-That is…!_ If you…"

Gingerly, Erin hesitated… then nodded, and the two finally gave small smiles to each other.

The Christmas cookies she had spent all afternoon making were thereafter forgotten.

…

'_DISTANCE AWAY 0 m'_


End file.
